Nailed It
by Charlotte Steele
Summary: Response to a challenge from Psychfic 100 themes by windscryer... most of them will probably be about Shules... but not all Rated T just in case... I hope you all enjoy!
1. Introduction

Carlton Lassiter allowed himself one last look at the pretty young junior detective before barging into Chief Vick's office.

"Chief" Lassiter greeted her gruffly.

"Detective Lassiter." she returned as the lanky man shuffled uncomfortably in front of her desk. "Was there something in particular you wanted, or do you just intend to sweep my floor?"

Lassiter froze and looked her straight in the eye."Are you testing me Chief?"

"I'm not sure that I follow." she said, narrowing her eyes.

"Do you think that I'm a good detective?"

"The best in the SBPD. That would be why you are head detective."

"But do you think I'm a decent head detective?"

"Lassiter, stop asking me all these questions and get. to. the. point." Chief Vick said the last four words with the dangerous and excruciating punctuation that only a pregnant woman could manage.

"Then why did you give me an innocent young girl, not even yet to be called a woman, who practically skips around the office trying to befriend anyone and everyone in her line of sight? I'll bet that child has never even drawn her gun on a perpetrator. Not to mention that she's pretty." The Chief raised her eyebrows. "Well, what I mean is.. uhh... umm... her... she would be... socially she would be seen as a very attractive woman... by many standards."

"Detective." She began. "Do you mean to tell me that you think I set you up?"

"No... N-never! I j-just." Lassiter stumbled.

"You just what Lassiter? I chose O'Hara as your new partner because she came highly recommended from Miami and I personally believe that she has great potential. I assigned her as your partner because I know that with you as her mentor, she will make a great detective." Carlton Lassiter stood speechless in front of the Chief. "I will trust you never to question my judgement again detective."

Lassiter nodded briskly before turning, dumbstruck, and stumbling out of her office. He looked again at his new partner. This time instead of seeing a juvenile girl, he began to see a woman with determination, which is what makes a good detective great.

O'Hara, as if sensing someone looking at her, turned and locked eyes with Lassiter. Her perfectly polished lips broke into a grin as she waved at him. He winced, waiting till he had safely arrived at his "office" before allowing himself a small smile.


	2. Love

"Before I go, I have to say one more thing." his voice shaking with pain and something else.

"Of course, Shawn, What is it?" I put aside my confusion for the moment so I could focus completely on his words.

"I need you to know that... I love you..."

Love? He loves me? I felt myself blush as heat rushed through my veins. Those butterflies I had kept safely caged for most of my adult life breaking free to flutter unhindered throughout my insides. I had waited for this moment so long that I no longer knew what to say. All I knew was that my mind was working a mile a minute.

"Uh..." What about Abigail. He couldn't have forgotten about Abigail. That's not like him. Maybe he truly believes he is going to die so he wants to make sure I know how he really feels about me. I wouldn't want to give him any sign that I truly believe he might die. I should tell him again that he is going to be fine. I should reassure him that we are going to find him.

"Shawn..." What are you waiting for O'Hara? Tell him that he's going to be okay. Tell him that you love him. Tell him something. His time must be almost up. I love him. I do? I do. I love everything about him. I love his voice, his hair, the way his lips purse when he's thinking really hard, and even the way he interrupts our investigations at the most inopportune moments so he can flail through his psychic vision of a new lead. I allowed myself a small smile. I do love him.

"I think that I.." I began

"Goodbye Abigail." he interrupted.

I felt ice shoot through my veins, fizzling out any remains of the fire that was so strong only a minute ago. I am so stupid. This wasn't a "before I die I just want to make sure you know that I..." (I couldn't even allow myself to repeat the sentiment in my mind) phone call, this was an informative call. I knew what I needed to do. I needed to be strong. It was easier said than done but I could to do it for Shawn; I could do it for the man that I now realized I loved. I took a moment to pull myself together before picking up the phone and dialing Lassiter's cell phone number.


	3. Light

*clap clap*

A yellow glow lit up his desk

*clap clap*

The dark took over the room.

*clap clap*

Shawn winced as the light flooded his eyes once again. He stared into the small object in front of him._ Yellow... What else is yellow..._ Shawn pursed his lips as he always did when he was deep in thought.

"PINEAPPLE!" He yelled out loud. _Face it. You're never going to make a break in this case without some sleep._

"Yes I will." _No, you won't, and you know it. _Shawn snorted. He was officially stuck. Somehow, as always, Gus had predicted it. He always did. _Curse him and his giant head! _Gus had left the Psych office two hours ago. He knew they weren't going to get anywhere tonight, and figured it would be better to get some sleep while he could. Of course, Shawn had protested. After telling Gus not to be a comfy looking pillow with lumps in the middle, he said that he would solve the case and wrap it up neatly within the hour. So here he was, two hours later and no break in the case.

Shawn couldn't resist staring into the light one more time as his sigh turned into a groan which transformed seamlessly into a giant yawn. _Hmm... Juliet's hair is yellow._ _Well, blonde actually, so maybe it isn't much like the light after all? No, something about this light reminds me of her. It must. Or I wouldn't have thought of her just now. Ok, so if it's not the yellowness of her hair, it must be the brightness of her smile! Actually, that's not all that similar either. This light only brightens my desk, but her smile...her smile lights up the whole room. If it isn't her smile and it isn't the color of her hair, then what is it?_ _She isn't round. She is white, but that's not it. She definitely doesn't turn on or off when I clap. Believe me I've tried. And the light isn't brilliant, funny, beautiful, or helpful with cases. I mean, look how much help it's giving me now. It's more of a distraction. Not that Juliet doesn't constantly distract me. HA!_

"WHAAAT!" Shawn pumped his fist in the air victoriously. _That's how Juliet is like the light. Speaking of Juliet, maybe she can help_. Shawn reached for his phone, but was asleep on his desk before he even had the chance to find Juliet's name in his contacts.


	4. Dark

So sorry, I know its been a long time. School is crazy right now. My creative writing class has me going like crazy, but I'm really going to try to update more faithfully now that my short story assignment is out of the way. So enjoy this one and a new one should be up in a few days!

And don't forget to review if you have any ideas or comment! :)

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Juliet sighed as she plugged in the night light. Detective O'Hara, afraid of nothing, could not sleep without a night light. Every day she wished she wasn't afraid of the dark, but every night she stared at the little light that left a hazy glow across her room, knowing that without it she would not be able to sleep.

She sighed and rolled onto her other side, adjusting the blankets that somehow wrapped themselves around her legs. She glanced at a corner of the room untouched by the comforting glow. Ever since she was a little girl, Juliet was disturbed by the unknown. If it wasn't for her fear of the unknown, she wouldn't be the woman she was today. It was the reason she became a detective.

As she stared into the dark she began to think about Shawn. Why was she so afraid to take the next step? She had gone out with tons of guys throughout her life. Why was Shawn any different? Juliet thought back to the last few guys she had gone out with. They had a few things in common. They were boring and predictable, everything that Shawn wasn't. Shawn was spontaneous, risky, and completely unknown. Juliet shot up. Her shaggy bed-head covering her face. Everything made sense now. She was scared to go out with Shawn because he was uncharted territory just like that black corner in her room.

Something had to change. She couldn't live her life in fear of what she didn't know. Juliet looked defiantly into the corner. She knew exactly what she needed to do. Slowly she stuck one leg, than the other out of the blankets. Juliet eased herself off the bed and onto the floor. She walked over to the nightlight, bent down and unplugged the it. Juliet stood, feeling like a new woman. As she turned to climb back into bed, she realized just how dark her bedroom really was. After pivoting and plugging the light back in with one fluid motion, Juliet flew back to her bed, smothered her head in blankets and decided that she would take on the easy problem first. Shawn.


	5. Seeking Solace

"No!" Shawn yelled as he sat up in bed. He looked carefully at his surroundings. Logging everything to make sure that it was exactly the same as before he fell asleep. He heard footsteps and anxiously waited for his dad's reassuring words. Finally the room lit up and his father's face appeared at Shawn's doorway.

"Are you ok?" Henry sat down on the bed, mentally giving Shawn a once over.

"Yeah dad. Just a nightmare."

"Thank goodness for that." The elder Spencer breathed. "The way you were screaming, I would've thought you were running from the devil." Gently laying his hand on Shawn's shoulder Henry said, "Now lay back and tell me about your dream."

Shawn rested his head against the pillow and closed his eyes, a tiny crease appearing in the middle of his forehead. "Well, there was this _HUGE _monster chasing me. It was telling me that there was no more time. It was getting so close! I didn't know what to do! There was no where else to run!" Shawn's breathing quickened, the furrow in his brow deepened.

"Shawn, it's ok. It's only a dream." Henry knew all too well how clearly his boy could relieve situations in his memory. Mr. Spencer laid his hand on Shawn's stomach. "Ok. So he was getting closer. What happened next?"

"I ran straight into a giant calender. I didn't see it there before. It just came out of nowhere. There was a day circled in red pen."

"What was the month?"

"September."

"And the day?"

"Uhh... the... 3rd."

Henry glanced at the calender hanging in his son's room. Tomorrow's date September 3rd circled with red ink. "And after the calender."

Shawn squeezed his eyes shut harder. "I... I turned around. The monster was almost there. Then, just before it ate me, I woke up." His eyes opened, looking expectantly at his father.

"You know Shawn, dreams are just a way for our brains run through our days and work out any problems we may be going through. It's very likely that your dream represents something that you're running away from."

"Like what?"

"You tell me. Why is tomorrow circled on your calender?"

"It's the first day of school."

"Ok, that's one problem solved. And the rest?"

"Well, the monster was probably a teacher. It was chasing me and telling me there was no more time because I didn't finish my summer reading, and school starts tomorrow."

"You see Shawn, dreams aren't scary. Just our mind's special way of helping us work out problems. I can tell you hundreds of times my dreams helped me solve a difficult case or work out some issue I had during the day. Now," Henry looked around the room, finding what he was looking for, a barely worn copy of Treasure Island, grabbed it and slapped it down on Shawn's chest. "You have some reading to get to."

"But Dad! How am I supposed to start my first day of school without sleep?"

"I don't know Shawn, maybe you should've thought of that when you were making a Slip n' Slide out of trash bags and salad oil." Henry, a crooked grin pulling at his lips, ruffled his son's hair before walking out of the room.


	6. Break Away

Yay new chapter... I hate making promises about updating because I always break them....I've been going so crazy with school and writers block with this chapter... but the next one will be up soon because I'm really excited about it... my first fic from Gus' perspective... so look for that soon... Enjoy!

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Typically Juliet loved the feel of wind whipping through her hair, adrenaline rushing in her veins, and the warmth of Shawn's shoulder against her cheek, but not today. Today all she could feel was concern, and it was growing by the moment. Juliet tightened her grip as Shawn sped his motorcycle down the coast. She was beyond thankful that they were finally out of the city and virtually alone on the road. Juliet never feared for her safety when driving with Shawn; he always seemed to know exactly where every car was without fail, but now her fiancé was careening through turns with no apparent regard for their safety.

"Shawn! Where are we going?!" Juliet called out. No reaction. She took a deep breath, lifting her head from his shoulder so she could talk into his ear, "Shawn, we have to talk; you need to pull over."

Abruptly, he jerked the bike onto a patch of grass beside the road, cut the engine, and threw down the kick-bar.

"Hon, can we talk about this? Where are you taking us?" she said, gently placing her hand on his shoulder.

Shawn jumped off his motorcycle and stalked a few feet away, laying his head in his hands.

"Shawn?"

"I can't do it." he moaned. She slowly made her way toward him.

"Shawn." he spun around to face her, dropping his hands to his sides.

"I told you! I can't do it!" Juliet gazed up into his fear clouded eyes. "It's over. I can't go back. There's no way the Chief could ever forgive me for what I've done."

"I did." she whispered. Shawn had told her the truth about him soon after they began dating.

"You loved me." He stared down at his shoes.

"You know that wasn't the only reason." To tell the truth it was really hard for her to decide whether or not to turn him in. Juliet was conflicted between her love for him, and her duties as a detective. In the end she decided that the amount of criminals he had put away was more important than his crimes.

"Do you really think the Chief will agree with your reasoning?" He asked glancing back up at her. Juliet looked away to the ocean.

"How will we ever know if we run away?" Shawn placed his hand under her chin bringing her eyes back to meet his.

"I'm not the only one that could be prosecuted on this. You could be pegged as an accomplice."

"I know."

"And your okay with that?"

"Yes, I made my decision. Now I have to accept the consequences. We have to accept them... together." Juliet reached for Shawn's hand, "Come home with me."

He grabbed it, "Okay, but if there's no pineapple waiting for me, I'm going to be very upset."

Juliet couldn't help but grin at the characteristic half smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.


	7. Heaven

Gus trekked through every room in his apartment. He was on a mission. He checked every single window. _Locked._ He meticulously scrutinized every nook and cranny of his small accommodations. _Nothing out of the ordinary. _He investigated underneath his bed and couch. _Just dust. Wait. Dust? _Gus grabbed his Swiffer Sweeper, quickly remedying the problem before continuing his search. He examined all of the cabinets in his kitchen. _Perfectly clean._ One last thing remained. Gus cautiously made his way over to the door. _Bolted._ He took out his cell phone. _No calls? No messages? No texts? This can't be happening. There's no way I could be this lucky.__Alone at 8pm on a Wednesday night._ He quickly turned his phone off, laughing to himself as he returned to the kitchen.

_Jerk chicken. All for me. Nothing could be better._ Grabbing the to go box, Gus meandered to the living room making sure to inhale as much of the delicious smell as he could. His eyes slid closed. _Mm allspice, thyme, cayenne pepper, sage, nutmeg and...... cinnamon._ Finally arriving at the couch, he plopped down at exactly the right place for optimum tv viewing. Gus immediately went to his DVR, choosing a recording of his favorite telenovela, "Explosion Gigantesca de Romance", aired early that day. As the show began, Gus nestled himself farther into the couch. _This is heaven_.

As he lifted the first bite of jerk chicken to his mouth, the phone rang. His eyes turned murderous; he slowly set the fork back into the container before raising the land line to his ear.

"Really Dude? Spanish soaps? I thought you were over that! Though the jerk chicken is a nice touch." Gus jumped off the couch, frantically searching the kitchen and making his way to the bedroom.

"It's called a telenovela Shawn. And where are you?"

"Right here. Where are you?" Gus burst into his bedroom to find Shawn sitting Indian style on the edge of his bed.

"Shawn! Get your shoes off my bed!" He yelled into the phone.

"You don't have to talk into the phone anymore. I can hear you just fine."

"How did you get in here? I checked everywhere!"

"Yes, yes you did. And while you were looking everywhere and cleaning with your Swipper Swapper..."

"SwiFFer SwEEper."

"SwEEffer SwaFFer. Whatever. I was walking straight into your apartment using that spare key you keep in the fake rock. I took a few bites of jerk chicken -which tastes delicious by the way, you should try some- before heading to your bedroom to relax on your bed and play Words With Friends. I'm totally owning my dad by the way. What!"

Shawn hopped off the bead, strolled into the living room, and took Gus' favorite seat on the couch. "Come on buddy! Saved a seat for you!" He hollered, patting the seat next to him.

Gus shook his head and smirked. He knew he would never get rid of Shawn, and frankly, if he could he wouldn't. Making sure to carefully put on his you-couldn't-possibly-be-more-of-a-pain-in-my-black-ass face before turning and stalking out to the living room, Gus called out:

"Ok, Shawn, but you better move over. That is MY seat."


End file.
